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Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Thankgoodness.. pt two - um, not so much

Mood: cautiously hopeful but guarded..

So there was a fifth kitten with the spitters that wasn't doing so well. Someone else wanted to take it so I didn't take her with the black kittens. When I got the notification that they were thinking panleuk, the original person didn't want her any more. Since she wasn't as well off as the black kittens I thought it best to leave her at the shelter to be observed and if she got better I said I would take her.

Well as the situation normally goes in the chaos that is the shelter environment, she went home with a different foster parent. A very experienced one at that.

well I got the news that they tested negative for panleuk. Apparently they tested for parvo - which is pretty standard since the two diseases are very similar.

Then I heard the orphan girl was constipated and they were treating her for that.

Well this morning I heard from the foster mom that the kitten took a turn for the worse and was put down.

Now I'm all in a panic. from my previous exposure to what I think was panleuk back in 2002 (they didn't test, they simply put the kitten down) and from all I have read, I really need to relax. One of the four is doing less well then the others (the frosted boy from the other day) but it is very hard to tell if it is because he is frightened or sick. He will eat some when I put him in front of the food but then I inevitably move and freak him out and he stops. The panicked part of me is all like "he's not eating because he's sick and dying and has panleuk and he's going to give it to everyone else aaaarrrgggh!!!" and the reasonable part of my brain holds on for dear life and then reminds me that he has been with me for several days, has not gotten worse, the diarrhea we had cleared up nicely and his siblings are all eating and active..

I'm just floored that I haven't heard back from the shelter on this. I would have thought they would have wanted me to know that the fifth kitten didn't make it.

I'm also bothered by the fact that I put them all in the same room. I knew better. I even said to my husband how beyond my comfort zone I was even mixing Trevor in with Odilia (but there are times when the rewards outweighs the risk and oh that was one of them)

Is this a problem? I do not know. I won't know for at least a couple of days. From what I have read if it is panleuk, it will show itself pretty quickly. Since "the spitters" have gone from having diarrhea to having solid stools I'm am pretty darn sure that even if it was panleuk they are over it now (again save for the smallest boy) but I'm back to being on the edge..

As for the fact that the spitters are in the same room as Odilia, Trevor and Scotty.. I can't say the risk is zero, but I am fairly certain it is minimal. They are in that room, but they are locked up in the cage, and I put a barrier in the front of the cage so they aren't really mingling with one another. There was some initial sniffing and a paw or two was exchanged before the barrier went up, but I'm guessing that risk is very small especially since it is the shelter's standard procedure to vaccinate kittens when they come into the shelter, so I am assuming Odi, Trevor and Scotty have all been vaccinated.

Paws crossed! It takes special people to foster and you do a great job...especially because you take the challenging ones. I have had to become sort of an "over communicator" where I foster, they get so busy at the shelter. I was always afraid I was being annoying by asking so many questions, but when kittens from a group get split up you need to know what happens to the ones you don't have because you want to be able to do the best job in fostering the ones you have. You have a very good outlook and fostering takes a lot of skill and a lot of heart! (-:

It seems you need some answers from the shelter as to which kitties have been vaccinated and which haven't as well as getting a clear diagnosis on the kitten that was euthanized. Mommy says you are an angel for looking after these special kitties, and she is purraying each and every one of them grows up to be strong and healthy. Keep of your good work. Purrs and hugs from the kitties at The Cat on My Head, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Josette

Oy! Our mom sez she would be having fits of worry too. BUT...The barrier keeps the spitters' spittin' away from O, T & S, so agreed - all is probably well. But don't you just hate the not knowing?!?!?!